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HIMALAYAS IN JALANDHAR
NEERAJA KUMAR (India)
I never imagined they could be so close
behind the smoggy sky
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Together, Write the World’s community of over 40,000 young writers is traversing a historic time. The pandemic disrupts the orderly flow of time while widespread racial and social injustice challenge basic principles of equality. This intersection of medical and social contagion creates an extraordinary moment for young writers. In response to physical isolation, they build private perches of self-reflection. And their fresh eyes see that the urgency of social reform calls for shared public expression. This chaotic time of peril and change has laid bare what’s important—and what’s unacceptable.
This issue of Write the World Review captures the perspectives of young writers careening through this uncharted time. Are lockdowns freeing or restricting? How has the pandemic changed their view of life’s certainty? How do they adapt to adversity? What systemic change do they envision, and how do they hope to make it happen?
The whole world seems in disarray these days. But other pieces in this issue remind us that teenagers, on a personal level, are living through adolescent years characterized by unexpected physical and emotional changes. One writer describes her family’s move from a beloved home to a new country, while another writer describes a journey of discovering identity. Young writer Lyat Melese notes the dichotomy that, “change can hurt…change is hope.” Upheaval and change create new opportunities—and these young writers are seizing them.
- David Weinstein, Founder, Write the World LLC